When a DIY video on YouTube caught her sister-in-law’s eye, Carolyn Stimpson’s extended family immediately stepped up to help.
As co-owners of Worcester-based Polar Beverage, crafting two-liter seltzer bottles into personal protective equipment, or PPE, for people on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19 felt like something they could do.
“Three-P-Es is what we’re calling them,” Stimpson added, coyly dubbing them “Polar Personal Protective Equipment.”
More local and national coronavirus coverage
Stimpson, who also co-owns Wachusett Mountain, and her extended family have donated thousands of plastic bottles to the cause and crafted hundreds of completed masks for medical workers in the area.
“What do we have? What can we do? How do we help? It’s baseline human instinct. How can you help?” Stimpson said humbly about the effort.
The family also put together their own how-to video.
Another company nearby, Leominster-based AIS, is also using materials it has available to help protect others. AIS, which manufactures office furniture, has dedicated a line of workers to making about 200 cloth masks each day, already donating thousands in the area, including to health care professionals at UMass Memorial Health Care.
Want some good news? On @boston25, we're talking about a couple local companies stepping up to help workers on the front lines battling COVID-19, including these heroes at UMass Memorial who are wearing masks sewn/donated by Leominster-based AIS. (Pic courtesy AIS) -- Tune in! pic.twitter.com/jnQuY7M5t6
— Michael Henrich (@MichaelHenrich) April 15, 2020
Download the free Boston 25 News app for up-to-the-minute push alert
Editor’s Note: The co-owner’s email address has been removed from the story because they are no longer taking requests for sterile bottles.
RESOURCES:
- Massachusetts Coronavirus Information
- Boston Coronavirus Information
- Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Watch Boston 25 NOW